A MONTH OLD new community fridge in Monkton Heathfield has saved over 650kgs of food waste.

The community fridge, set up by West Monkton Parish Council, has had a big impact on food waste by making available over 650kgs of food from retailers to members of the community.

It is run by a dedicated team of trained local volunteers across West Monkton, Cheddon Fitzpaine, Monkton Heathfield, and Bathpool and it is open daily.

Items that would otherwise have been beyond their shelf life in the store were stocked in the fridge, giving local people the opportunity to make use of them, as well as the chance for residents to bring along their own cupboard overstocks and garden gluts for sharing with others.

The brand-new shed also houses bookshelves and the swapping of both adult and children's books has already proved very popular.

In addition to food items coming from three Co-op branches and from Monkton Elm Garden Centre, several local companies have lent their support to get the project underway, including Bathpool Flooring and Monkton Heathfield-based sign writing company Jacks & Stripes, who designed and painted a bespoke sign.

The community fridge is one of a number of recent initiatives based on supporting a local ‘circular economy’, which involves sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling existing materials and products locally for as long as possible – including clothes, toys, and plant swapping events.

Further green initiatives have included tree planting, making recycled plastic water butts and green grants available to residents, and encouraging young people through sunflower growing, bird watching competitions and farm walks.

Next in the planning is a Community Garden, where raised beds for fruit and vegetable growing will be made available for those unable to garden at home, and to promote both physical and mental health and wellbeing.

You can follow the Community Fridge on Facebook by searching @Our Community Fridge – Monkton Heathfield.